Middlings-purifier



(No Model.) W. TUCKER.

Middlings Purifier. No. 241,252. Patented May 10,1881.

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Ihvrrnn STATES AIENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM TUCKER, OF PARIS, ILLINOIS.

MlDDLlNGS-PURIFIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 241,252, dated May 10,1881.

Application filed April 19, 1880. (X model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM TUCKER, of Paris,in the county of Edgar and State of Illinois, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Middlings-Purifiers, of which the fol lowing is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to an improvement in middlings-purifiers; and itconsists in the devices hereinafter described, and particularly pointedout in the claims.

The object of the invention is to produce an efficient and improvedmachine for purifying the intermediate product of ground wheat, termedmiddlings, by separating it from bran and flour. The purpose of theseveral parts of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a central verticallongitudinal section of a machine embodying the elements of theinvention. Fig. 2 is a side view, and Fig. 3 a front view, of same.

A indicates the frame of the machine or apparatus, supplied with theusual hopper, (not shown,) for feeding the middlings, and a fan,

B, for creating a current of air, which assists in purifying thematerial.

In the frontportion of the machine the sieves D are mounted, three inthe present instance being employed, the lowermost one extending nearlythe whole length of the machine. The rear ends of the sieves D areconnected, but allowed to move independently of each other, by thespring-bars a, one bar connecting the lower and upper sieves and anotherconnecting the middle sieve, with the bar I), rigidly attached to therookie g shaft (1, secured across the top of the apparatus, and themovement of which either elevates or lowers the end of the bar I),which, in turn, causes the spring bars a and the rear ends of the sievesD to be either elevated orlowered. One end of the shaft (1 is bent downover the side of the frame A, and is set into a slot, 6, in the plate f,which plate is adjustable longitudinally bymeans of the sloth andset-screw i. When the plate f is moved toward the front of the machineit rotates the shaft (1 toward the rear and lowers the bar 11, causing,also, the lowering of the rear ends of the sieves D. The purpose ofraising and lowering the rear ends of the sieves D is to increase ordiminish the capacity of the machine,

the capacity being greatest when the sieves are about on a horizontalplane and smallest when they have been inclined to their lowest point.Any intermediate position between these two extremes may be obtained byadjustin g the plate f with relation thereto and securing it by means ofthe set-screw t.

The sieves D consist of a rectangular frame supplied between its sidesand ends with the screens Ir, which, in lieu of the bolting-clothusually employed, are made of sheet-zinc perforated or provided withnarrow slots. Below each sieve D is provided a floor, m, which inclinesfrom the rear end of each sieve to the front end of the one just belowit, in order that the material as it is shaken through one sieve maypass to the front end of the one next beneath it, and so on until itescapes at the bottom of the machine. The front ends of the sieves D areconnected by the bars a, pivoted on stands 4', which are rigidly securedto the frame A at a point about midway between the sieves. The upperbars or connect the first and second sieves, being mounted on standsbetween them, and the lower bars the second and third series. Upon thefront of the lower sieve D is secured a bar-spring, t, the ends of which,pass under the guards to on the end of the frame A, and which, when thesaid sieve is thrust forward, serves as a means of forein g it back toits former position when the pressure against it is relieved.

In front of the middle sieve D is mounted in suitable bearings the shaftw, carrying a cam, 00, which acts upon a small sheave-wheel, 2, attachedto the frame of the said middle sieve. When themiddle sieve D is forcedrearward by the cam 00 it draws the ends of the bars a secured to italso rearward, and has the effect of throwing, consequently, the otherends of said bars and the upper and lower sieves forward. After thegreatest point of eccentricity of the cam a: has passed the sheave-wheelz the middle sieve D is forced forward again by the action of thespring-bar t, and, if they are constructed so to act, the spring-bars a.This movement of the middle sieve D and the action of the bar-spring tand the bars a operate to drive the upper and lower sieves D rearward.During the entire operation of the machine these sieves have thisalternating movement, and serve to counteract the action of each otherand prevent the great jarring efl'ect upon the machine caused by all thesieves moving in the same direction.

Below the lower sieve D is provided a floor, H, the front portion ofwhich inclines gradually downward toward thefront of the machine, whileits rear portion is formed into a hoppershaped receptacle, I, having anoutlet, K, for permitting the escape of the .material as it passesthrough the rear end of the sieve.

Upon the floor H is placed in suitable guides, L, the slide M, operableby means of the handle N. The purpose of the slide M is to direct, whenpushed inward, the middlings as they fall through the rear end of thesieve to the front of the machine, where they may be returned to theuppermost sieve D by an endless elevator-belt or otherwise and againpassed through the machine.

Where the quantity of middlings to be purifled is small it will be founddesirable to employ the slide M, as when the middlings are returned andthe machine kept full the sieves will do better work than when but asmall amount of the material is in the machine.

It is obvious that I may use bolting-cloth or any suitable perforatedmaterial in lieu of the zinc screens is with satisfactory results.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

1. The three sieves D, connected at their front ends by the bars a,pivoted upon the stands '2", in combination with the shaft w, having acam, :10, operating on the middle sieve, substantially as specified.

2. The three screens D, connected at their front ends by the bars n,pivoted upon the stands 0', in combination with the spring t and shaftw, having a cam, :0, operating on the middle sieve, substantially as setforth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing improvement inmiddhugs-purifiers, as above described, I have hereunto set my hand this13th day of March, 1880.

\VILLIAM TUC KER.

Witnesses 0. W. LEVINGS, C. \V. HUBBARD.

